Nahid wishes Samanta well after NCP resignation, says concerns were discussed before polls

National Citizen Party (NCP) Convener Nahid Islam on Friday wished Samanta Sharmin well following her resignation as the party’s former joint convener, saying the party had already addressed her concerns before the February election.

Without naming Samanta, Nahid referred to the resignation of a female party leader during a regional coordination meeting in Gaibandha.

“We had discussed the issues she raised several times before and after the [February] election and explained our position to her,” Nahid said at a regional coordination meeting at the Gaibandha Zila Parishad Auditorium.

“Despite that, she has resigned. We have nothing more to say about it. We wish her well,” said Nahid, also the Opposition Chief Whip.

He attended the meeting as chief guest, while NCP's Northern Region Chief Organiser Sarjis Alam was the keynote speaker.

Local party leaders and activists gathered to review organisational progress and discuss preparations for upcoming local government elections.

The remarks came after Samanta announced her resignation on Thursday, citing concerns over the NCP's alliance with Jamaat-e-Islami, its reliance on established political forces, the marginalisation of women in leadership and the restructuring of its central committee without a party council.

Samanta alleged that women had been excluded from meaningful decision-making despite their contributions to the party and the movement that preceded its formation.

She also said that even if the NCP withdrew from its alliance with Jamaat, she no longer believed the party could establish an independent political identity outside Bangladesh's traditional political culture.

Nahid accuses BNP of rehabilitating Awami League

Nahid accused the BNP government of facilitating the Awami League’s political rehabilitation, warning that the ruling party risked repeating what he called former president Ziaur Rahman’s historic mistake.

He said the BNP had failed to take meaningful steps against the Awami League since assuming power and was now creating opportunities for the party to return to politics.

He urged the BNP to learn from history, referring to Ziaur Rahman’s decision to allow the Awami League to resume political activities.

“We would urge the BNP to learn from Ziaur Rahman’s history. He made a historic mistake by allowing the Awami League to return to politics,” Nahid said.

He argued that the BNP subsequently paid a heavy price for that decision, saying Prime Minister and BNP Chairperson Tarique Rahman’s years outside Bangladesh and the imprisonment of party leaders and activists during the Awami League’s rule.

“If they can learn from that history, they should consider what might happen next,” he warned.

Nahid also accused the government of failing to pursue accountability for alleged crimes committed under the previous Awami League administration.

He claimed that measures against the Awami League, including restrictions on its political activities and initiatives to ensure accountability, had largely resulted from pressure generated by the July uprising rather than action initiated by the BNP.

According to Nahid, the BNP had not demonstrated sufficient commitment to strengthening the tribunal process or ensuring justice for victims of the previous government’s alleged abuses.

He alleged that the ruling party was instead moving towards political accommodation with the Awami League.

Criticism over July Charter

Nahid also criticised the BNP government over the implementation of the July Charter and the outcome of the referendum.

He said the government could not disregard the referendum’s mandate simply because it held a parliamentary majority.

“The BNP is in power through force, but it cannot remain in power through force,” he said.

He argued that implementing the referendum’s outcome and the July Charter was essential if the government wanted to complete its five-year term.

Nahid said NCP representatives had taken their oaths in accordance with the July Charter implementation framework and were participating in efforts to establish the proposed constitutional reform mechanism.

He accused the BNP of resisting those reforms despite the commitments made following the July uprising.

Local government elections

Turning to local government elections, Nahid alleged that the BNP was seeking to delay the polls until conditions became favourable to the ruling party.

He claimed that the government was attempting to bring institutions under partisan control to improve its electoral prospects.

Nahid said the NCP and its 11-party alliance had already held discussions with the Election Commission and submitted proposals for changes necessary to ensure credible local government elections.

He expressed concern about whether the elections would be conducted fairly under the existing arrangements.

Nahid also clarified that the 11-party alliance was not merely an electoral arrangement but an issue-based political coalition pursuing shared reform objectives.

He said the alliance would continue political programmes, both jointly and independently, to press for implementation of the July Charter and other commitments arising from the mass uprising.